1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, such as an information device having an information processing function as a main function, an electric device having an information processing function as an auxiliary function, or such; an information processing method, a computer readable information processing program and an information recording medium such as a CD-ROM. As a specific example of the information device having the information processing function as a main function, a personal computer may be cited. As a specific example of the electric device having the information processing function as an auxiliary function, an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a composite machine, a fusion machine or such for which, recently, an information processing function is highly developed, may be cited.
Recently, a composite machine, a fusion machine or such acting as a copier, a printer, a scanner and a facsimile machine by a single machine is available commercially. The composite machine or the fusion machine has hardware such as an image pick-up part, a printing part, a communication part, an operation and display part, and also, four types of software corresponding to a copying function, a printing function, a scanning function and a facsimile function, respectively. Then, as a result of switching thereamong, the machine functions as any one of the copier, the printer, the scanner and the facsimile machine. When acting as the copier or the printer, the machine prints out an image on a printing paper sheet or such, while, when acting as the scanner or the facsimile machine, the machine reads an image from an original. When the composite machine or the fusion machine acts as the facsimile machine, it transmits or receives image information to or from anther apparatus via a telephone communication line or such.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2002-84383 discloses such an art for example.